Stencil scope



A. P. LEE

sTENcIL scoPE March l, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1937 A. P. LEE

STENCIL vSCOPE March 1, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May s, 1937 llllulllllul'i/||l\|l|llIlllllIllllllllllllll'llllllllll Y INYENTOR.

AlbemLe@ Z HIJ ATTORN Y.

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Patented Mar. 1, 1938 STENCIL SCOPE Albert P. Lee, Chicago,

Ill., assigner to Colorgraph'Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Applicationv May 3, 1937, Serial No. 140,337

8 Claims.

This invention pertains to devices for cutting stencils and tracing letters or figures on a stencil or other sheet, and hereinafter referred to as a scope. y

5 An important object of the invention is the provision of a small inclined frame having a translucent table portion and means for directing light through the table from below, together with means also for illuminating the table from l above so that copy work may be done leither by direct or transillumination.

A further object is the provision of a scope frame of the type described, and which has a lamp bearing frame slidable relative to the workl ing surface or table of the frame.

Still. another object is a device having the foregoing features and further provided with a letter and figure tracing guide and mechanism operable to select and position a desired letter or figure to be traced on a stencil sheet or the like.

Still another and more specific object is the provision of a scope having a guide strip with embossed alphabetical or other characters thereon and a combination selecting handle and indi- 25 cator operable to move the guide strip back and forth across the scope table and also indicate the selected letter and additionally indicate the total number of characters selected forr` each line of copy.

30 Yet another object is a novel lamp bracket arrangedfor tongue and groove sliding support on the scope frame and having a pair of lamps disposed one above and another below the table, together with guide strip-supporting and operat- 35 ing means movable up 'and down the table with the bracket.

The invention further provides roller means supported byv the aforementioned bracket and adapted to carry and pay out a supply of tracing,

40 copy, or`stencil-protecting paper or the like.

Other novel aspects and objects of the invention will be brought out as the following specication proceeds in view of the annexed drawa ings, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical side section through the scope table and associated mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation, partly in section, of the lamp and selector arrangement, taken on lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa vertical section throughthe selector mechanism as viewed along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view ofthe selector knob and indicating means;

5s Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the frame and sections rmly together and guide strip with the lamp structure and roller in section (lines 5-5 of Fig. 1) s Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section along lines 6-6 of Fig. 5, and shows in successive layers the glass table, backing strip, 5 guide strip, stencil, and stencil shield;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the embossed guide or tracing strip;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective the tracing strip, while Fig. 9 is a section of the 9 9 of Fig. 8.

The scope 4of my invention includes a rectangular frame l0 made of wood, for example, (Figs.

1 and 5) and having an inset glass table I2 sub- 15 stantially flush with the upper surface of the frame, and forming a well or recess Il on the under side thereof in conjunction with the surrounding frame members.

Hinged to the top crosswise frame member I6, as atgil, is a folding leg I8 having a standoff block I9 at its lower end, this leg being folded in the recess Il with the block I9 flush against the bottom of the glass table. Depending from the bottom crosswise frame member- 2l is a leg 25 block 2|, which serves when the folding leg Il is extended to maintain the frame and table in a conveniently slanted position for operation of the device.

Each of the long-sided frame members 22 and 30 23 of the frame has an open-ended longitudinal groove-24 (Fig. 5) for reception of a sliding tongue 25 on the offset section-connecting arms 29' of lower bracket 29, the tongue having set screws 21 threaded therethrough to bear against the frame and hold the bracket in adjusted podtion.

In general, the main carriage or bracket structure 26 includes two somewhat U-shaped complementary sections 29 and 32, the former fragment of 10 guide strip along lines being attached to opposite but offset vertical side the latter and which extend upwardly beyond the top level of the frame and table; each of these side arms terminates in a side-opening slot or groove ilange 23. The upper U-shaped bracket member 22 has a pair of 45 'downwardly directed side arms 35, each having an inwardly directed tongue which fits into the groove part 33 of the lower bracket and which will also rit into the table or frame grooves 2l. 50 Set screws 31 are threaded through each of the tongue Aportions 36 for bearing' engagement against receiving the grooves to hold the bracket yet facilitate quick removal so that the table may be used as an arms 30 and 3| of ordinary scope and to permit the free use oi ruling devices such as a T-sq'uare and the like.

The intermediate arch parts between the side arms of each U-shaped bracket section are formed, by casting for example, in the shape of combination lamp housings and reflectors 38 and 40 interiorly of each of which are lamps 39 and 4| in sockets 39 and 4|. The upper socket 39' is desirably removable and is secured in place by a set screw 39 (Fig. 2). The lamps 39 and 4| are connected by the usual lamp cord and may be turned on together or separately as desired by usual switch means.

In assembled relation, the main bracket sections 29 and 32 are disposed to embrace the scope board or frame across its lateral extent, as seen in Figs. I and 2, and are slidable longitudinally thereof upon unloosening set screws 21.

Between the opposite side arms 30 and 3| of the lower bracket section 29, but above the frame and glass, is a roller 44 having axial pivots 45 and 46 (Fig. 5) extended into the said side arms. One (right-hand) end of the roller has a deep recess or Well 41 in which is a coilfspring 48, anchored to the roller at 49 and to the frame at 58. 'I'his roller has wound thereon a supply of tracing paper or a non-brous transparent stencil `protecting sheet such as Cellophane, and when the roller is rotated by unwinding the sheet material therefrom, spring 48 winds back and tightens the sheet over the underlying stencil sheet or copy, as the case may be.

-At this juncture it is appropriate to point out that a spring-urged clip or jaw 5| (Figs. 1 and 5) is mounted centrally on the lower frame member 28 so as to clamp down against the latter and thus hold a tracing sheet, stencil sheet and/or a protective transparent cover sheet stretched tautly over the glass table; for instance, in the relation shown in Fig. 6, the transparent top protective sheet being indicated at 52, the underlying stencil sheet at 53, the customary stencil backing sheet 54, and between the stencil and backing sheet, a tracing guide strip 58 (see also Figs. 7 and 8).

It may also be observed that the top of the stencil backing sheet 53 (Fig'. 5) is attached to the top cross frame member 22 by means of studs or screws 55 spaced apart on the frame and tted into the usual anchoring apertures 56 in the backing sheet.

In order to facilitate the speedy execution of uniform stencil characters and copy, the invention includes a lettering guide in the form of a guide strip 58 (Figs. 5 to 9) of aluminum or other impressionable material, on which are embossed alphabetical characters 59 in the central region of the strip, these characters being flanked longitudinally along opposite edges of the strip by a series of spaced gear-engaging apertures 80 along the top edge, and a series of spaced clongated guide bosses 6| along the bottom edge.

Extended across the tableY or frame between side portions of the lower bracket section 29 is a track strip (Figs. 5 and 6) composed of two spaced strips 65 and 66, the former and uppermost strip having a longitudinally extensive channel or track 61 in which the guide bosses 6| of strip 58 travel to assure uniform back and forth movement of the lettering strip by means now to be described.

Referring especially t? 3s. 5 and 2, it will be observed that the left-hand offset connecting arm portion 29 of the lower bracket section 29 has an angled sidewiextension 18 positioned conveniently at one side of the scope table or frame for easy access by the operator, and journaled in this extension is a form of bevel gear 1| (Figs. 1, 2, 3) having a sleeve-shaft 12 which terminates at its upper end in a cup or bell-shaped operating knob 13 having a flat outer (axial) face 14 divided in thirteen evenly spaced sectors 15 (Fig. 4) and divided circumferentially into three zones 16 surrounding the central recessed portion 11 of the cupshaped knob. Alphabetical letters or characters are disposed in the several sectors defined on the face of the knob.

Fitted into the opening of the recess 11 of knob 13 is a tally disc 18 having thirteen equal and serially numbered divisions around its periphery, there being one such division for each division 16 on the knob or letter scale. However, the markings of the tally scale are offset a halfdivision relative to the markings of the knob scale.

Extended from the inner face of the tally disc 18 is an integral sleeve 19 (Fig. 3) which passes through the sleeve portion 12 of knob 13 into the bracket extension 10, where it is secured against movement by a set screw 80. A pointer arm 8| pivots around the knob face 14 on a short shaft 82 which extends with the sleeve 19 of. the tally disc, to a collar 83 set on the inner end 82 of shaft 82 which collar 83 rides against ball member 84 disposed between the collar and extension 10 for movement into depressions 85 against the riding tension of a small spring 86 embracing an upper portion of shaft 82 between the knob part of the pointer 8| and the tally disc 18, thus producing a ratchet effect to hold the pointer in any adjusted position.

A semi-cylindrical hood 88 is attached at 89 to the bracket extension 18 and shields the upper half of the bevel gear 1|. The teeth of the bevel gear 1| are spaced and numbered in relation to the spacing and number of gear tooth holes in the lettering strip 58 proportionately to the size and spacing of the alphabetical characters thereon, in such manner that for every movement of the knob 13 one division 16 relative to pointer 8| when the latter is positioned on one of the tally divisions 2, 3, etc., the strip 58 will move across the scope table a distance equal to the width of one character or letter.

In the operation of the improved scope, the table Aor frame is set up as it appears in Fig. 1, and a stencil with its backing sheet is attached on the screws or'hooks 55;` the backing sheet lies against the glass and beneath the track strips -66, and the embossed lettering strip 58 rides in the latter track (Fig. 5), while the bevelgear 1| engages the spaced holes 60 in the strip 58. The stencil sheet 53 (Fig. 6) is placed over the embossed lettering strip 58, and with the bracket structure 26 slid down toward the bottom of the frame or table, the Cellophane protective sheet 52 is fed off of the roller 44 and clipped beneath the spring clip 5 the roller. spring 48 being somewhat tensioned by this operation. Thereafter, the bracket 26, together withl the lettering strip, is moved to the top of the table as a unit, the Cellophane sheet unwinding from roller 44 and further tensioning spring 48.

The operator now selects his rst alphabetical character, let us say the letter A, by turning the pointer 8| (Fig. 4) to the numeral on tally disc 18, and thereafter, he turns the knob 13 until the letter A in the outer sector 16 coincides with the pointer, which indicates that the letter A is in first position relative to the left-hand margin of the stencil sheet, whereupon the operator can observeV the raised letter A on the strip through the stencil sheet, the top lamp 39 being especially effective to this end, and by rapidly brushing a suitable stylus against the Cellophane cover sheet over the embossing of the htter appearing in the first position, that letter will be cut into the stencil sheet, by a displacement of the wax in the stencil'l sheet due to the pressure of the stylus against the raised letter.

In Fig. it will be seen lthat the letters.v

"Stenc as part of the word stencil, have already been cut. The next letter in this word would be I, and since five letters have already been cut, the pointer BI would at this time be on numeral 5 of the tally disc, and should be moved to the next following number, 6. Having done this, the operator simply rotates knob 13 until the letter I coincides with the number 6 to which the pointer arm has been set. The operator then knows that the embossed letter which now lies beneath the stencil sheet next to the letter C" in the as yet incomplete word stencil, will-be the next required letter I, and he proceeds to rub with his stylus the Cellophane cover sheet in the space immediately to the right of the last letter C in this incomplete word, thus cutting the next required letter, after which the operator moves the pointer arm 8i to the numeral 'l on the tally discl and thereafter he may turn the knob 13 until the next requiredletter (in this example L) coincides with the pointer, and so on, until the word is completed.

It is important to observe that as each line of copy is thus cut, andthe carriage or bracket structure 26 is moved downwardly. line by line, spring Il rotates roller M to take up or rewind the Cellophane, protective sheet. By withdrawing the embossed strip 58 from the track 65-66, and lighting the lower lamp ll, sufllcient light will pass through the backing sheet to illuminate the stencil for a quick check either in cooperation or without the top lamp 39. For a more detailed examination of the stencil, the backing sheet may be unhooked and folded back out of the way, leaving the single stencil sheet on the glass,

and light from the lower lamp 4i will clearly illumine the characters cut.

A further trans-illuminating arrangement may I be had conveniently by folding up leg I8 and sliding the lateral' carriage of! the table. Thereafter, set screws 31 may be loosened and the upper'bracket section 32 and its lamp be removed and slid onto the side grooves of the table with the' (top) lamp 39 now on the bottom and the upper side of the scope table centrally clear for tracing, copy work, or checking. l

It will be evident that changes and modifications of various kinds can bemade in the arrangement particularly described herein to illustrate one preferred form of device, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Having thus `described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto `protect by Letters.

Patent is:

1. A scope including a transparent table, a carriage structure having sliding engagement with the sides of the table and bracket portions extending over both the top and bottom of the table, light means carried by both of said bracket portions for illuminating the table from above and below, a guide track extended laterally across the top of s aid table and supported by said caru riage, a lettering strip slidable back and forth matically `winding the same in one particular' direction when the roller is manuallyrotated in an opposite direction, said roller carrying a supv ply of sheet material for use on said table.

3. A scope including a, substantially flat copy table of rectangular form, a carriage having means supportably engaging opposite sidesA oiA said table for sliding movement relative thereto, said carriage having an upper and a lower bracket part, the former overlying one surface of said table, and the latter bracket overlying the opposite surface, illuminating means supported by said carriage for movement therewith, and roller means supported by said carriage crosswise between said sides and over one surface of said table, spring means in saidl roller and energized by rotation of the roller in one direction from a starting position to turn the roller back in the opposite direction to mid starting position, said roller carrying a supply of sheet material for use on said table.

4, A scope including a substantially flat copy table of rectangular form, a carriage having means supportably engaging opposite sides of said table for sliding movement relative thereto, said carriage having an upper and a lower bracket part, the former .overlying one surface of said table, and the latter bracket overlying the opposite surface, illuminating means supported by said carriage for movement therewith, and roller means supported by said carriage crosswise between said sides and over one surface of said table, spring means in'said roller and energized by rotation of the roller in one direction from a starting position to turn the roller back in the opposite direction to mid starting position, said roller carrying a supply of sheet material for use on said table, and releasable sheet-fastening means at one end of said table for holding the free end of sheet material on said roller.

5. A scope including a substantially flat, rectangular copy table having longitudinally-extensive open-ended grooves on two opposite sides thereof, a carriage comprising separable bracket sections and means including a tongue formation in one said section engageable with a groove formation in the other formation in the other said section for mounting the sections together as a unit, the said tongue formation of one -particular section being also receivable in the grooved part gf said table to mount said particular bracket section separately on said table, each of said bracket sections being shaped to have a part overlie said table, and each overlying part of each section carrying illuminating means, and means including an adjustable member on said particular section for clamping engagement with said table to hold said particular bracket in a desired position on said table when said section is used alone, and further engageable with the. other said section to hold the two sections in assembled relation as aforesaid.

6. A scope including a flat copy table, a carriage having sliding engagement with two opposite side parts of said table for movement back and forth over the same, said carriage having bracket parts overlying both the top and bottom surfaces of said table, means for holding a stencil sheet on one particular surface of said table, a guide track on said carriage and movable therewith over said particular surface, a copying strip having a series of spaced tooth-receiving formations therein and also having copy characters thereon, said strip being slidable back and forth across said particular table surface in said track, a selector member movably mounted on said carriage and having tooth formations engageable with the tooth-receiving formations in said strip to move said strip when said selector member is moved.

7. A scope including a flat copy table, a carriage having sliding engagement with two opposite side parts of said table for movement back and forth over the same, said carriage having bracket parts overlying both the top and bottom surfaces of said table, means for holding a stencil sheet on one particular surface of said table, a guide track on said carriage and movable therewith over said particular surface, a copying strip having a series of spaced tooth-receiving formations therein and also having copy characters thereon, said strip being slidable back and forth across said particular table surface in said track, a selector member movably mounted on said carriage and having tooth formations engageable with the tooth-receiving formations in said strip to move said strip when said selector is moved, said movable member having indicative characters thereon corresponding to the characters on said strip and an adjustable indicator member adjustable into positions relative to said indicating characters on said movable member to provide a reference point to which said movable member and a desired indicating character appearing thereon must be moved to said strip and the corresponding desired character thereon into a predetermined position relative to said particular table surface.

8. A scope including a copy table, a carriage movable back and forth over the working surface of said table, means for holding a copy sheet on said table, and lettering guide mechanism including a guide track extended laterally across said table and movable with said carriage, a lettering strip having embossed characters thereon and tooth-receiving holes extended serially along one edge of said strip, a bevel-type gear mounted on said carriage at one side of said table for rotation about an axis extended at an angle to the plane of said table, said gear being engageable with the tooth-receiving formations in said strip to move the latter when said gear is turned, an annular operating knob having a dial and being drivingly connected with said gear, a stationary tally disc arranged in said knob concentrically with said knob in the dial face thereof, a pointer movable radially of the center of said tally disc and independently of said knob, said dial face being divided into a plurality of circumferentially spaced zones with indicating characters distributed therein and each corresponding to one of said copy characters appearing on said lettering strip, said tally disc having a plurality of circumferentially arranged divisions corresponding in number to said zones in the dial, the number of teeth in said gear and the number of tooth-receiving formations in said strip being apportioned` to the number and spacing of characters on said strip in such manner that said pointer can be set to a particular division on said tally disc and said knob can be rotated to position a selected dial character on said dial before said pointer whereby :aid strip will be moved to position said selected character with reference to a predetermined point on said copy table.

ALBERT P. LEE. 

